Throwing Stones at a Giant: an account of the Steel Valley struggle against pollution from the Vanderbijlpark Steel Works

A steel works in the industrial heartland of South Africa is the site of a protracted struggle. It is a David and Goliath type struggle because in mobilising against Mittal Steel the local community is challenging one of the giants of corporate globalisation. Its outcome could be a turning point in the history of environmental justice in South Africa. Two of the main actors are Indian millionaire Lakshmi Mittal and South African pensioner Strike Matsepo. The one is the owner of the polluting steel works, the other a victim of its pollution. Together they illustrate extreme differences in access to power and resources.